Sprinkler-head.



No. 654,853. Patented m 3|, won. 0. E. SMITH.

SPRINKLER HEAD.

(Application filed Jan. 8, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEQ CYRUS E. SMITH, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO EDWARD O. ELY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SPRINKLER-HEAD.

srncrrrcarron forming part of Letters Paar No. 654,853, dated. July 31, 1906. Application filed January 8, 1909. Serial No. 661. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Beitknown that LGYRUSE. SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fall River, county of Bristol,State of Massachusetts,have invented an Improvement in Sprinkler Heads, of which the following description, in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a specification, like characters on the drawings 7 representing like parts.

This invention relates to automatic sprinkler-heads employed in safety-sprinkler sys tems for mills, stores, ($50.; and it has for its object the production of means for preventing destructive flooding when a sprinklerhead is accidentally opened and for also insuring the replacement of the parts thereof in proper position thereafter.

It is well known that sometimes the valvecontroller of a sprinkler-head will accidentally break down, and the water will immediately flow out and flood the vicinity, doing much damage before the water can be shut off from the system. To prevent this, I have de vised manually-operated means carried by or forming part of each sprinkler-head to shut ofi promptly this flow without affecting any other part of the sprinkler system. Manifestly if such means operated as a complete closure for the discharge-opening of the head the latter might be carelessly left in such condition, so that thereafter in the event of a fire that particular head would be absolutely worthless. To prevent such results and to make the manually-operated closure operate as a telltale, I so construct it that it only partly closes the discharge-openin g, thus permitting slight leakage, and so long as this leakage is apparent it is known that the main valve or closure has not been restored to its proper normal position, it being impossible to seat the main valve until the auxiliary or antiflooding device has been manually withdrawn into normal inoperative position.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a sprinkler-head of well-known construction with one form of myinvention embodied therein. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view thereof. Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the diaphragm detached, showing the dischargeopening or valve-seat therein; and Fig. 4 is a similar view of a convenient form of auxiliary closure for said opening.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2, the sprinklerliead herein illustrated comprises a body portion a, having an annular wall ct, internally threaded at M, and a hollow nipple or shank a for attachment to the piping of the system, the spreader or distributor I) being shown as supported on arms I), secured to or forming part of a ring 12?, threaded to engage the wall or flange a and be held in place thereby. A preferably-metallic diaphragm d is held securely in place between the head a and the ring 19 said diaphragm having a central discharge-opening or valve-seat d between the nipple a and distributer Z).

A suitable vitreous or other button at forms the main valve, normally held in place on the valve-seatd by a collapsible strut d interposed between a cap 2 on the valve and a projection 4 on the inner side of the distributer, all in usual manner, the lower end of a part d being supported in the hooked upper end 30 of the part 61 on the opposite side of the strut at the lower end thereof, while the upper end of the part (1 is ofiset, as at 33, and crosses the top of the strut, said offset portion receiving the projection 4, the parts (1 al being normally held in place relatively to the strut and to each other by readily-fusible solder and operating to release the valve when a rise in temperature to a predetermined point fuses or disintegrates the solder securing the parts at d to the strutand to each other. Should the valve be accidentally released, the water would rush out and flood the vicinity, doing considerable damage before the supply could be shut off. To prevent this in very large measure, I have herein shown an auxiliary closure f for the seat d, adapted to slide in an undercut guideway d in the diaphragm d, the wall a being slotted, if necessary, as at 6, to receive the outer end of the closure or auxiliary valve f when in normal position. A lug or projectionf on the part f, inside of the wall a, provides means for conveniently moving the valve into or out of position, and when the main valve is unseated the auxiliary valve can be manually moved into position to substantially close the discharge-opening. Such ICO closure is intended to be only temporary, and toinsure the-replacement of the main valve after accidental removal the auxiliary valve does not fit tightly, but permits slight leakage, which serves as a telltale, the ontinuance of the leakage indicating that the sprinkler-head has not been restored to proper normal condition ready for operation by ther mal action should occasion arise. Thus it not only requires direct manual efiort to counteract the efiect of accidental operation of the main-valve-controlling means, but the latter must bepositively returned to proper operative condition thereafter'in order to stop the leakage, and it is impossible to seat the? main valve unless the auxiliary valve is inoperative, and'viee versa.

My invention is not restricted to the precise construction and arrangement herein shown norto the particular type of sprinklerhead illustrated, for various changes or modifications may be made Without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s

1. In a sprinkler-head, a body portion provided with a valve-seat, a main valve, means to retain it seated andrendered operative to release the valve upon a predetermined rise in temperature, and a manuallygnovable auxi liaryyalve permanen 'ffioiiitedonth'e'body portion and adapted to-nearly close the seat when the valve has been unseated.

2. In a sprinkler-head, a body portion provided with a diaphragm having a discharge opening therein, a closure for said opening, means to normally maintain the closure tightly in said opening, toprevent the escape of fluid therethrough, and a manually-movable auxiliary closure permanently mounted to slide on the body portion and adapted to partially close'the opening in the diaphragm when the main closure is withdrawn.

3. In a sprinkler-head, a-body portion having a discharge-opening and an annular-wall,

a valve for said opening, a strut to normally maintain said valve in position to tightly close the opening, and an auxiliary valve permanently mounted on the body portion and accessible from within the annular wall of the body and manually movable into position,

to nearly close the discharge-opening when the main valve is removed.

, 4. Inna sprinkler-head, a valve, means to normally maintain it in position and to release it upon a predetermined rise in temperature, and manually-actuated antiflooding means permanently connected with the "sprinkler, operative only when the valve is I unseated, to partially elose the valve-opening 

